(KCPW News) Despite the recent spike in red air quality days, Utah Division of Air Quality Director Bryce Bird says Utah’s air quality is actually better than average this summer.
“We’ve actually up until this point had a very good year for ozone,” he explains. “We’ve had cooler temperatures and the clouds that have kind of turned off that reaction that forms this ground level ozone. Over the past few days with the high pressure in place, we’ve seen the conditions were we have seen elevated ozone in the afternoons and so we’ve issued those red quality alerts. “
Bird says ozone levels have been elevated since Friday.
He says just like during a winter inversion, the ozone gets trapped in the valley during periods of high pressure, and the possibility for more red air quality days could continue into next month.
“This year has been quite good up until now, but we’re not out of the woods yet,” says Bird. “We could still have elevated ozone clear into September where the conditions are in place where that could form here in the valleys.”
Wood burning is prohibited on red air quality days, while motorists are asked to voluntarily reduce their driving.
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